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 In the Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (Mish, 2003: 267), the term of "sexism" is defined as "discrimination by members of one sex against the other, especially by men against women based on the assumption that one sex is superior". The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (Pickett, 2000: 133) defines sexism as 1) discrimination based on gender, especially discrimination against women; 2) attitudes, conditions, or behaviors that promote stereotyping of social roles based on gender. From these definitions, we can find that in the area of linguistics, "sexism" means discrimination against women in communication. The following are some facts about sexism in language.

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     "A Name is a kind of symbol for people to distinguish each other. Apart from that, it does not have other social functions." (Lin, 1999: 86) However, in fact, when people are choosing names, they always bring their subject ideas and social attitudes into consideration.

In English-speaking countries, children usually follow their fathers' names, and women usually follow their husbands' names. In addition, names are also influenced by social value attitude.

Generally speaking, people can judge the gender from the name. Women's names usually use the words meaning beautiful, graceful, and lovely. For example, Lily is the name of a kind of flower: Susan comes from the Hebrew language and means graceful and kind; Diana stems from the Greek language, with the meaning of goddess of the moon, and it is a symbol of beauty, grace and dignity. However, the meanings of men's names are very different from those of women's names, and they reflect the characteristics of firmness, bravery, desire for freedom, and full of dreams and ambitions. For example, Richard stems from the Saxon language, meaning strength; Andrew originates from Greek with the meaning of courageous and frank; Lewis comes from French, and has the meaning of the protector of the people.

1.2 Sexism in English addresses

In English, Mr. and Mrs. is a pair of honorific addresses. People usually put Mr. in front of a man's name, and Mr. does not show the matrimony status of the man. However, Mrs. is always used before the husband's family name, and it refers to a married woman. An unmarried lady is called Miss plus her family name. When we address a man who has a post or professional title, we usually use his title plus his family name, for example, Dr. Davis, Professor Brown, and Dr King. However, when we address a woman, we always put her gender in front of her job, such as woman doctor In addition, when women take part in parties, they are often asked, "What does your husband do?" By contrast, if a man is asked what his wife does, he will be very surprised and may give the answer, "She is my wife, and that's what she does".

1.3 Sexism on principle part of men and variant of women

The Bible advocates that God created the man first, and the woman comes from the rib of the man. In the English language, many hyponyms show the tendency that standard language is based on men.

A. Exclusion of women

In English countries, the role of a woman is a wife and a mother. A decent job seems to be a patent of a man. Therefore, when a woman has a decent job, and makes a great contribution, people always give a mark to her. For example, "woman doctor, woman sculptor, female lawyer, woman engineer, lady critic, lady ambassador, girl graduate". However, men's professions do not have any marks. "Man (male) doctor, male sculptor" seldom appear in the English language. This synonym shows that it is common for a man to be a doctor, or a sculptor, and it is unusual for a woman to have this job. The B.B.C Radio News once broadcast a piece of news, "This thieving gang consists of three people from Latin America and a woman." If we revise the sentence, we would find it absurd. "This thieving gang consists of three people from Latin America, and a man."

B. General designation of" he man"

In English language, the general designation of "he/man" is very common. Wardhaugh (1992: 99) said that "man mankind" refers to all human beings just as "he" refers to the third-person pronoun For example.

a. Man has learned to control his environment to an astonishing extent.

b. Everyone should do what he considers best.

Additionally, there are some compound words, such as man-made, freshman, and statesman.

According to statistics, the appearance ratio of he and she in documents is four to one. Lakoff (1973: 67) describes this phenomenon as "Now she represents a woman but he is mankind. If she enters mankind she loses herself in he".

1.4 Sexism in word meaning

In the English language, many words associated with men have positive or affirmative meanings. However, the words related to women usually have negative meanings.

A. Transformation from positive to negative meaning

In the English language, there are many words that have gender differences, such as governor, governess, actor and actress. Some words referring to women originally were neuter words, but they gradually changed into negative words. For example, governor and governess meant the people who have great power. Queen Elizabeth I was once regarded as the supreme majesty and governess of all persons. Nowadays, governor means 1) a person who is the official head of a country or region that is politically controlled by another country; 2) a person who is chosen to be in charge of the government of a state in the U.S. It retains its commendatory meaning.  However, the meaning of governess has derogated. It means a woman employed to teach the children of a rich family in their home, and to live with them (Hornby, 2000: 121)

B. The different meaning of the same word or corresponding words

Schulz (1992: 34) found that referring to the same word or corresponding words, the negative meaning is always associated with women words. For example,

a. He's a professional.

b. She's a professional.

The "professional" in the first sentence makes people think about decent jobs, such as a lawyer, and a doctor. However, it is different in the second sentence. Most people in English countries may think that she is a prostitute. Another example, both bachelor and spinster refer to people who are unmarried. However, bachelor is a neutral word, and spinster refers to the woman who is not married. In many literature works, bachelor is even an attractive character. People use bachelor as the euphemism of spinster.

C. The number comparison of negative words

The negative words related to women are more than those related to men. Schulz (1992: 40) pointed out that she did some research on the negative words and found that there are more than 1,000 words related to women. However, the words related to men are less than that. If we look in Slang and Euphemism Dictionary (Spears, 1982: 73), we will find that harlot has 524 synonyms with the meaning of prostitute, for example, broadtail, carrion, cocktail, mutton, and moonlighter. However, corresponding men's words are only 177. The ratio of those words is three to one.

1.5 Sexism in word order: man first, then women.

In English grammar, there is not a rule about "man first". However, in practice, people usually put the man first, and then woman For example, husband and wife, boy and girl. This kind of word order is very common. If we reverse the order, wife and husband, girl and boy, we will feel uncomfortable.

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Howard Giles (1977: 23) classifies the structure that influences people's positions in language. He believes that this structure is composed of three parts: status including economic, social and history positions; demography including area distribution and quality; and public organizations, such as institutional support of communication media, education, government, se nice office, industry, religion and culture.

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2.2 The explanations of psychoanalysts

Freud describes the feminists as "a phalocentric repressive, would-be father" (Freud, 1988, cited in Hauck. 1995: 69). His follower Jacques La can, a French psychoanalyst is asserts that unconsciousness is a kind of language (La, 1988, cited in Hauck, 1995: 83). Therefore, psychoanalysis is language analysis. Combining Freud's theories of the Oedipus Complex and Castration Complex with his own ideas, Jacques La can proposes that men have the power of language, and women are the subordinate and are looked down upon in the aspect of language (Hauck, 1995: 54).

2.3 The influence of mythology

The discrimination and prejudice against women is a part of culture ideology. Culture ideology refers to the ideas and attitude associated with culture values. The spread of culture ideology reacts on the discrimination and prejudice against women. Mythology is a form of culture. The role of women in mythology can also help us to understand sexism in language. In Greek mythology, women played a bigger role than they did in the biblical stories of the Christian culture and so the names of goddesses are accepted parts of the language in such place names as Pomona from the goddess of fruit, Athens from Athena and in such common words as cereal from Ceres, and psychology for Psyche.  .Another interesting word from Greek mythology is Amazon. According to Greek folk etymology, the a means without as in atypical or amoral, while mazon comes from mazon meaning breast as still seen in mastectomy. In the Greek legend, Amazon women cut off their right breasts so that they could better shoot their bows. Apparently, the storytellers had the feeling that for women to play the active and masculine role the Amazons adopted for themselves, they had to trade in part of their femininity (Pickett, 2000: 23).

2.4 The influence of social prejudice and traditional ideas.

Social prejudice is acquired from conversations of groups of people, parents, relatives, friends, or the mass media, such as broadcasts, movies, TV, and newspapers. Sexism also exists in conversation or mass media. For example, when people refer to callboy, they mean the waiter in a restaurant or the one who informs the actors to prepare for the stage. However, call girl means a prostitute who makes her arrangements by telephone.  

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In our daily life, it is better to use non-sexist words or gender-free words such as child, teacher, officer, and people, and try to avoid sexist words such as chairman and mankind.

If we do not refer to a specific person, it is better to use the synonym to replace the words which have the suffix of-girl, -woman, -wife, -man and so on. For example, use calendar model instead of calendar girl, and replace flag girl with flag bearer.

When writing a letter, if the gender of the receiver is unknown, it is better not to use the traditional form of address, such as Dear sir, and Dear Madam. We can use the professional address to avoid mistakes, for example, Dear friends of the library. Deal Madams and Sirs, and Dear personnel officer.

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When citing a text including the words of "man" or "men", we can choose the following methods to avoid sexism.

A. Do not cite the text directly, but instead, explain the text. For example,

Sexist: W. Phillips said: "The best use of laws is to teach men to trample bad laws under their feet."

Revised: W. Phillips suggested that the best use of laws is to teach people to trample bad ones under their feet.

B. We can use part of the text.  For example,

W. Phillips said the best use of laws was to teach people "to trample bad laws under their feet."

3.3 Avoid sexism aroused by the third-person pronouns.

A. Use plural forms

Sexist: When bathing a baby, never leave him unattended.

Revised: When bathing a baby, never leave them unattended.

B. Use "we/us/our" to revise former sentences

Sexist: From each according to his abilities, to each according to his needs.

Revised: From each of us according to our abilities, to each of us according to our needs.

C. Use the second-person pronouns

Sexist: No man knows his true character until he has run out of gas, purchased something on the installment plan and raised an adolescent.

Revised: You don't know what your true character is until you have run out of gas, purchased something on the installment plan and raised an adolescent.

D. Use passive form

Sexist: One who, when he has the choice of two evils, chooses both.

Revised: One who, when given the choice of two evils, chooses both.

E. Omit pronoun

Sexist: What a person thinks of after he becomes a departee?

Revised: What a person thinks of after becoming a departee?

F. Replace with articles

Sexist: Can a critic give his opinion of an omelette without being asked to make one?

Revised: Can a critic give all opinion of an omelette without being asked to make one?

G. Replace with "some, one, the one, no one"

Sexist: He who can take advice is sometimes superior to him who can give it.

Revised: Someone who can take advice is sometimes superior to the one who can give it.

H. Replace with noun or synonym, which appears in the text

Sexist: To find a friend one must close one eye, to keep him, two.

Revised: To find a friend, one must close one eye, to keep a friend, two.

When using the above ways to avoid sexism, it is better to pay attention to the specific situation. A specific method depends on whether it is helpful for our writing or conversation, and whether it is appropriate.  

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Sexist language is a language, whether written or oral, which by its use, form or structure, demeans people on account of their gender. Sexism in language has been an important topic among people in modem times. It is a problem that begins in people’s assumptions and expectations and has attracted attention all over the world. In addition, it is a problem that will be solved only when a great many people have given it a great deal of thought. Just as Rosalie Maggio (1989: 35) said, "It is also necessary to acknowledge that there can be no solution to the problem of sexism in society on the level of language."

Sexism in the English language exists in English names, addresses, word meanings, word order, and many kinds of areas in our daily life. This phenomenon is rooted in the culture of society. Language is a telltale evidence of the values and beliefs of the culture. Sexism in the English language is influenced by social and economic reasons. It takes a long time for old words and usages to disappear. Therefore, in our daily life, more attention should be paid to the usage of words, such as using non-sexist words instead of sexist words, avoiding the designation of "he/man" and the third-person pronouns. Only when people are fully conscious of the equal rights between man and woman, and eradicate sexism in social culture, can the sexism in English be eliminated.